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~ OBSERVED TRIALS AMAINATC National Cham~ionshi~ Observed Trials Series: Round 6 ~ (Left) Ryan Young clinched his sixthconsecutive AMA National Observed Trails Championship Series title with a winning performance at the Kachina National. (Right) Geoff Aaron finished second at Kachina, and second in the final series standings. (Below) Geoff Aaron (Left) and Ryan Young (right) have been the dominant two riders for the past several seasons. with Kachina win By Chris Johnson SAN YSIDRO, NM, OCT. 10 on't say, "five-time National Trials Champion" anymore, when referring to Ryan Young. Now it's six titles for the Pennsylvanian, who clinched his latest honor at the Kachina National in New Mexico. Competing for the southwesternstyle sand painting trophies were GasGas-mounted Young, Beta rider Geoff Aaron and Colorado's Mark Manniko, on a Pantie, along with 92 other series regulars and local New Mexico Trials Association (NMTA) aspirants. The event marked the return of championship riders to New Mexico after a three-year absence. The NMTA hosted the trials at the Bureau of Land Management's OHV area just northwest of San Ysidro. NMTA trial masters David and Bud Cole and Joe Boyce set an assortment of sections mi xing stone gardens, tricky loose shale slopes, deep sand and rocky washes, on a 2.2-mile loop with a one- D 16 mile foot path for the more than 400 spectators. The nasty 10th section, regarded by locals as uncleanable, claimed points from every Championship- and Expert-elass rider on each . loop. The support classes d idn't even attempt the arroyo known as KiJler Canyon, but one High School class rider was overheard saying that even the bypassing trail was tougher than some actual sections. Many support-class competitors zeroed their comparatively easy sections and posted very low scores. Betamounted Mike Huddleston from Ohio posted 3-1-1 loop scores for the Sportsman class win. Three riders were tied for second place with six points each. Tie-breaking sorted Stephan Dolan, Dean Wright and Greig Engel into second, third and fourth places, respectively. High School class rider Ryon Bell, on a Gas-Gas, amassed outstanding 0-1-1 tallies to claim his class trophy, while Keith Adams of Idaho rod e his Aprilia to the best score of the day; he pic ked up only one point in three circuits of the Support-elass sections. The near-perfect ride earned him top place in the 40+ class. In the more difficult Championshipand Expert-elass sections, only Young was able to post consistent single-digit loop scores for a three-loop total of 22. Aaron, who won round -five in nearby Colorado the day before, was second with 32.5. Manniko followed with 55 points, which was a pleasant surprise considering his absence from recent competition. Nebraska Gas-Gas rider Jess Kempes came in a very close fourth with 58 points. Also pleas ing in their Championshipclass performances were locals Drew Bingham and Chuck Su tton. Bingham showed up on a trick new Yamaha and rod e it to ninth place. Aprilia rider Sutton impressed everyone with an excellent ride in the uphill stone garden of section 14, and a respectable 10th-place result. Du ring the first loop, rid ers carefully examined the various lines, consum- in g so mu ch time th at several bott lenec ks develop ed -a n d late points resulted . Even Aaron was a victim . The New Mexico autumn winds began to pick up in the late afternoon, as did the pace of the competitors, who no longer had to spend so much time preparing. At the trophy presentation, NMTA's Diane Cole presented Young with a bottle of champagne in honor of his sixth title and and 40th National win . Aaron wa s well within spraying range, and the crowd backed away in anticipation. But Young, ever the gentleman, popped the cork, took a victory swig, and passed the bottle to Aaron. ~ Results CSHIP: 1. Ryan Young (G-G); 2. Geoff Aaron (Bet); 3. Mark Manniko (Fa n); 4. Jess Kempel (G-G); 5. Ron Comma (Bet ). EX: 1. Ron Schmelzle (Bet); 2. Steve Fracy (Bet); 3. Steve Clark (Apr); 4. Chris Bardell (Apr); S. Bryan Byrd (Fan ). HIS: 1. Ryon Bell (G-G) ; 2. Derek Martinson (G-G) ; 3. Ma" Moore (G-G); 4. Toby Wille" (Be.); 5: Tom Hunter (G-G). SPTMN: 1. Mike Huddleston (Bet); 2. Stephan Dol.1n (Fan ); 3.llean Wright (Fan); 4. Grieg Engel (G-G) ; S. Robert Hertrich (Apr). 30+ : 1. Bob Rowland (Yam); 2. Robert Schwenke (Fan ); 3. Robert Weiher (G-G); 4. Kevin Bobb (Fan); S. Oon Garda (Apr) . 35+: 1. Howard Galbreath (Apr); 2. Shan Moore (GG); 3. Bob Pennington (Bet); 4. Jim Snell (G-G) ; S. Ken. Graham (Apr). 40+ : 1. Keith Adams (Apr) ; 2. Gary Scmpsel (G-G); 3. Rod Tomson (G-G) ; 4. Gany Hoover (G-G ); 5. Give Hannon (Fan) . 45+: J. Dale Malasek (G-G); 2. Larry Crump (Bet); 3. Michael Bucholz (Man); 4. Ron Saum (G-G) ; S. Bob Pick (Bet). 50+: J. BilIlleGaris (G-G); 2. Stan Hensley (Yam); 3. Dave Watson (Bet) : 55+: 1. Jack Heminway (G-G); 2. Bill Thompson (Yam). 60+ : J. Art Webster (Yam). AMA/NATC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OBSERVED TRIALS SERIES POINT STANDINGS, (Aft~r 6 of 7 rounds): 1. Ryan Young (170/4 wins )-; 2. Aa ron Young (110 / 2); 3. Raymond Peters (109); 4. Jess Kem pkes (103); S. Did ier No nim (92). "Clinched tide